If you ever wander the ancient landscapes near Nasiriyah in present-day Iraq, prepare to be awestruck by seeing a monumental structure rising majestically above the desert sands. This is the Great Ziggurat of Ur, one of the most extraordinary and well-preserved relics of the ancient Middle East.

A ziggurat, unlike the more familiar Egyptian pyramids, is a type of stepped pyramid that served not only as a temple but also as an administrative hub for the city-state. These towering structures were erected by various Mesopotamian civilizations from the 3rd millennium BCE to the 6th century BCE, each designed to bridge the earthly and divine realms while honouring the patron deities of the city.

The ancient Greek historian Herodotus mentioned that each ziggurat was crowned with a shrine, although none of these have survived. The Great Ziggurat of Ur, specifically, was dedicated to Nanna, the moon god and the city’s patron deity. Built around 2100 BCE by King Ur-Nammu during the Neo-Sumerian period, this ziggurat stood as a testament to Ur’s power and prosperity. The temple complex included a courtyard, a shrine, and several buildings for priests and officials, all centred around the ziggurat.

During my visits to the Babylon Hotel in Baghdad, I couldn’t help but draw parallels between its ziggurat-inspired architecture and the ancient ziggurats. Opened in 1982 and originally managed by Oberoi Hotels & Resorts until the 1991 Gulf War, the hotel’s terraced design, conceived by Slovenian architect Edvard Ravnikar, echoes the stepped pyramids of ancient Mesopotamia.

The very first ziggurats predate the Egyptian pyramids, with some remains still visible in modern-day Iraq and Iran. Unlike the smooth-sided Egyptian pyramids, ziggurats featured terraced levels and lacked interior chambers, with temples at the top instead of tombs inside.

Ur itself dates back to the Ubaid period around 3800 BCE and is first recorded as a city-state from the 26th century BCE, with Mesannepada as its earliest known king. The city’s patron deity was Nanna, the god of the moon. The city is also revered as the birthplace of Abraham (or Ibrahim), the patriarch of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, traditionally believed to have lived sometime in the 2nd millennium BCE.

The Great Ziggurat of Ur was not just a religious structure but a reflection of Mesopotamian cosmology. Ziggurats were monumental temples designed to bridge the gap between heaven and earth, providing a sacred platform where priests could connect with the gods. In Sumerian belief, ziggurats represented the “cosmic mountain,” a place where the divine descended to interact with humans. Each Mesopotamian city had its own patron deity, and ziggurats were dedicated to these gods as houses of worship. The Great Ziggurat of Ur was specifically built to honour Nanna, the moon god, who was believed to oversee fertility, vegetation, and the rhythms of nature governed by the lunar cycle.

Ziggurats evolved from earlier flat temples known as “temple platforms.” Over time, these structures became more elaborate, rising in tiers and symbolising the human quest to ascend toward the divine. While the inner sanctum of the ziggurat was reserved for priests and royal figures, the presence of the ziggurat in the city was meant to benefit the entire community, symbolising divine protection and prosperity.

The construction of the Great Ziggurat is attributed to King Ur-Nammu, the founder of the Third Dynasty of Ur, around 2100 BCE. Ur-Nammu is renowned for his contributions to law, culture, and architecture, and the ziggurat was one of his most ambitious projects. His reign marked a period of revival for the city of Ur, which had been a major power in Sumer during earlier centuries but had fallen into decline.

Ur-Nammu initiated an extensive building program aimed at restoring the city’s grandeur, and the ziggurat was central to this effort. It was meant to solidify the religious and political authority of the king, as he was considered the intermediary between the gods and the people. The construction of such monumental architecture demonstrated Ur-Nammu’s piety and reinforced the idea that his reign was divinely sanctioned. After Ur-Nammu’s death, his son Shulgi continued the construction and expansion of the ziggurat, further enhancing its splendour and ensuring its completion.

Mesopotamian ziggurats were believed to be the earthly dwellings of the gods, with only priests allowed on the ziggurat or in its rooms. These priests were responsible for attending to the gods’ needs, reflecting their significant status in Sumerian and Assyro-Babylonian society.

The ziggurat of Ur, with its shrine on top, was seen as Nanna’s chosen earthly abode. A bed-chamber within the shrine, occupied by a maiden selected as the god’s companion, emphasised the gods’ earthly requirements. The ziggurat’s northwestern stairway housed a kitchen for preparing food offerings, and the outer enclosure contained a temple storehouse, priests’ residences, and a royal ceremonial palace.

The Great Ziggurat of Ur was built in a step-pyramid form with three main terraces, each progressively smaller than the one below, giving the structure its characteristic tiered appearance. Originally, the ziggurat was about 64 meters long, 45 meters wide, and approximately 30 meters high. Its height would have made it a dominant feature of the landscape, visible from miles away, reinforcing its role as a focal point for religious and civic life.

The core of the ziggurat was made from mud bricks, while the exterior was clad in baked bricks, held together with bitumen—a naturally occurring form of asphalt used as mortar. The mud bricks provided the necessary strength, while the baked brick veneer helped protect the structure from erosion caused by wind and rain. This combination of materials was typical of Mesopotamian architecture, where wood and stone were scarce.

One of the most impressive features of the ziggurat was the monumental staircase that led to the summit. Originally, there were three separate stairways—two on the sides and one at the front—that converged at a gatehouse. These stairways symbolised the ascent from the earthly plane to the heavens, where priests would offer sacrifices and prayers to the god Nanna. The summit of the ziggurat likely housed a shrine or temple, though little remains of this structure today.

Each of the ziggurat’s four corners was aligned with a cardinal direction, and a grand staircase oriented towards the summer solstice sunrise added to its celestial significance.

The ziggurat was part of a larger temple complex, which included courtyards, storage rooms, and administrative buildings. This entire complex was the heart of religious, political, and economic life in Ur, serving not only as a place of worship but also as a hub for trade and governance.

Ur, located near the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, was one of the most important cities of ancient Sumer and later Akkad. During the Third Dynasty of Ur, the city reached its zenith, becoming a major centre of political power, trade, and culture. The Great Ziggurat was an essential part of this golden age, embodying the city’s wealth and influence.

The ziggurat served as a religious centre for the worship of Nanna, but it also functioned as a political statement. Its towering height and grandiose design proclaimed the might and piety of Ur’s rulers, reinforcing their claim to divine favour. The temple atop the ziggurat would have been the exclusive domain of the priest-kings and their chosen officials, who mediated between the gods and the people.

As a centre of religious and political life, the Great Ziggurat also had an economic role. Temples in ancient Mesopotamia were not just places of worship but also acted as centres of commerce and storage. The temple complex around the ziggurat likely housed granaries, administrative offices, and workshops. Priests managed these resources, controlling both the spiritual and material wealth of the city.

The Great Ziggurat of Ur, like the city itself, eventually fell into decline. The Third Dynasty of Ur collapsed around 2004 BCE due to invasions by the Elamites and the internal fragmentation of the empire. However, the city of Ur remained an important centre for centuries, even under successive empires like the Babylonians and later the Achaemenid Persians.

By the time of Alexander the Great’s conquest in the 4th century BCE, the ziggurat was in a state of disrepair, and over the following millennia, it was abandoned and buried beneath the sands of time. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that British archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley uncovered the remains of the ziggurat during his excavations at Ur between 1922 and 1934. Woolley’s discoveries not only revealed the architectural grandeur of the ziggurat but also provided invaluable insights into the life and culture of ancient Mesopotamia.

In the 1980s, under the rule of Saddam Hussein, portions of the ziggurat were restored, particularly the lower levels and staircases. While these restorations have been somewhat controversial due to concerns about historical accuracy, they have helped preserve the site and make it accessible to the modern world.

Today, the Great Ziggurat of Ur stands as a powerful symbol of Iraq’s ancient heritage. It represents the ingenuity and cultural achievements of one of the world’s earliest civilisations and serves as a reminder of Mesopotamia’s pivotal role in human history.

Today, the Great Ziggurat of Ur stands as a powerful symbol of Iraq’s ancient heritage. It represents the ingenuity and cultural achievements of one of the world’s earliest civilisations and serves as a reminder of Mesopotamia’s pivotal role in human history. The Great Ziggurat of Ur now stands as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a beacon for tourists.

The Great Ziggurat of Ur is more than an architectural marvel; it is a testament to the religious devotion, political power, and technical skill of the Sumerian civilisation. Through its sheer scale and meticulous design, the ziggurat reflects the complex interplay between religion and governance in ancient Mesopotamia, where rulers were seen as both temporal leaders and divine mediators.

As one of the most iconic monuments of ancient Mesopotamia, the ziggurat remains a symbol of the enduring legacy of the Sumerians. The discovery of the Great Ziggurat and the city of Ur has deepened our understanding of early urban development, religious practices, and statecraft. It serves as a lasting monument to the ambition of the human spirit, reaching for the heavens both physically and metaphorically, in the quest for divine connection and earthly prosperity.